Composites News

Challenges in Composites Testing Masterclass

Recently, Instron had the great pleasure of hosting a composites-focused masterclass for customers, based at our European Headquarters in High Wycombe.

Focused around a combination of seminars and active workshops, customers were involved in discussions surrounding a wide variety of composites-based testing challenges, from the importance of specimen alignment, to dynamic testing and advanced measurements, as well as productivity of testing and strain measurement.

We were also pleased to host Nigel O‘Dea (Founder and Director of OB2B Industrial Marketing & PR) who brought with him 25 years of industry experience. His involvement and presentation reinforced the importance of the global strategic growth and challenges faced within the composites industry.

At the end of the masterclass, all customers were invited to stay for a tour of the newly revamped factory floor, and had the opportunity to get hands on with a variety of demonstration machines hosted in our Applications Lab.

Here’s what one of our customers had to say about the day:
“Very well run event, all the speakers were very approachable. It totally reinforced the message that Instron is a key partner for materials testing and able to share helpful, up-to-date knowledge and insight, not just a test machine supplier.”

We will be running similar events throughout 2015, so look out for new dates being confirmed on our website.

Composites Testing with Don Adams

We hosted a Composites Testing Seminar at University of Texas in Richardson, also known as UT Dallas. While our very own Leo Martinez primarily covered most of the presentations and topics associated with composites testing, we had the privilege of partnering with Don Adams, a well-known expert on composites testing, to speak with a room full of customers. Dr. Adams vast knowledge in composites started during his days in the materials testing labs at the University of Wyoming, where he was the Director of the Composite Materials Research Group (CMRG). During his presentation, he covered topics including: basic principles of composites testing, experimental results & their interpretation, types of test methods and industry standards, specimen preparation, as well as a host of test types.

Conference Update: JEC 2015

We just returned from exhibiting at JEC Europe 2015, the major composites exhibition in the world. This exhibition gathers state-of-the art materials, equipment, and technologies out of the composites world. The Instron international team was happy to demonstrate our capabilities and our composites testing experts stayed busy speaking with customers on various topics including: what is important to pay attention to, what could be the best configuration for their testing system, and also see that we can provide the full range of testing equipment they would need for their testing.

This year, we demonstrated the full range of testing systems required for composites applications testing. A model 5969 tensile tester equipped with our Advanced Video Extensometer (AVE 2), Bluehill® 3 testing software, and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) software attracted a lot of visitors. The software allows to investigate the strain in 2 dimensions during the test, or after with post treatment. The power of this system lies in the simplicity and the consistency of the configuration; there is no need for additional cameras and software that generate trouble and data transfer issues. And the new AVE 2 is compatible with any testing system, even non-Instron with its 0-10 V output.

Fatigue testing becomes more and more required for composites. Apart from the usual hydraulic systems used for fatigue testing, Instron also offers an all-electric range of dynamic system, the ElectroPuls™. The capacity of ElectroPuls is limited to 10 kN, but we’re seeing a trend from customers whom purchase these systems that they are being used more frequently to test smaller specimens. Equipped with Wavematrix software and the SSHC module, the E1000 system that we showed at JEC attracted a lot of visitors. This very powerful module was developed after listening to our customers. Our SSHC module allows the fatigue testing system frequency to be controlled according to the specimen temperature, so that it won’t be heating.

Lastly, we also demonstrated the 9340 drop tower with a temperature chamber and the data acquisition system (DAS). With a capacity up to 1800 J, the 9300 impact testers range allows to test composites in high energy and temperature. This very safe instrument offers a motorized crosshead positioning system and changeable tups and inserts for the user comfort and safety. Our CEAST specialist received a lot of questions on impact testing standards for all kind of applications and was happy to discuss tips and advice.

On the last day of JEC, Ian McEnteggart, Instron Composites Markets Manager, presented on the different challenges met while testing composites: the standards, the alignment issues, and the different ways to measure strain.